Wetlands

Based on Charlotte Roche's bestselling 2008 novel, German director David Wnendt's Wetlands puts a feminist spin on the gross-out comedy in a story that centers on 18-year-old sensation junkie Helen (the truly fearless Carla Juri), whose divorced mother (Meret Becker) taught her to keep her body scrupulously clean. Flashbacks contrast the behavior of her fastidious mother with that of her hedonistic father (Axel Milberg). In Helen's opening narration, she sets the tone, “For as long as I can remember, I've had hemorrhoids,” a condition that will lead to greater problems later. She also sexually experiments with vegetables and rubs her posterior on public toilet seats; in fact, when it comes to her private parts, there isn't anything Helen won't try. Her best friend, Corinna (Marlen Kruse), also engages in unusual sexual practices, although Wnendt keeps the tone light by way of a playful soundtrack and animated sequences. But for all of Helen's rebelliousness, the skateboarding punk-rocker is still a kid at heart who longs for her parents to get back together, failing to see that the two have nothing in common. When she injures herself shaving a delicate area, Helen ends up in the hospital, where she befriends Robin (Christoph Letkowski), a nurse who finds her more entertaining than his uptight girlfriend. The sexually-explicit Wetlands is not an easy film to watch, but this is a strikingly original and bold movie, and is therefore recommended for more adventurous collections. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an alternate artwork gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a bold coming-of-sexual-age film.] (K. Fennessy)